A cold snap is here on the Truckee River in the greater Truckee-Tahoe-Reno area. Highs won’t make it out of the 20’s here in Truckee, and the lows will be low. What’s that mean for the fishing? Well, honestly, it pretty much sucks when it’s this cold. What you mostly get is ice in the guides and unwilling fish. Fish can be caught, but it may not be easy. December is our coldest month. If you do venture out, fish the frogwater. The frogwater is your friend. Fish that are lethargic due to cold water temps tend to put themselves in slower, sometimes deeper water. They might feed during a small window, or the warmest times of the day. The good news is that big fish need to feed everyday, they need the calories, small fish don’t. When you catch fish this time of year they tend to be larger than their summertime friends. Most folks fish under an indo with the typical stanard american nymping rig. Winter is a great time to bust out the two hander and swing flies, or get a centerpin reel and mess around with that. Like I say, fish can still be caught, and sometimes we catch our biggest fish of the year, mid-winter during cold snaps, but sometimes it’s best to wait until it warms.
